Humpback whales part of 3-pronged surprise

Capt. Todd Mansur knew exactly what he saw when he watched a huge black and white flipper come out of the water on Tuesday morning. Humpbacks are usually not seen in Southern California. COURTESY OF DANA WHARF SPORT FISHING AND WHALE WATCHING

DANA POINT – When Todd Mansur saw a massive black and white flipper rise out of the sea about two miles off the Headlands on Tuesday morning, he knew it was a humpback whale breaching.

He immediately steered the whale-watching boat toward it and couldn't believe what he saw next. Two humpbacks were rolling, throwing their flippers and rubbing up against each other. One was about 55 feet long; the other was a little larger. Mansur, who's been a captain with Dana Wharf Sport Fishing and Whale Watching for more than 30 years, said likely the pair were courting.

The sighting of humpback whales is rare in Southern California and is one of less than a dozen Mansur remembers seeing off the coast of Orange County. Humpbacks, which travel from Hawaii to Alaska and from Mexico to Alaska and back, don't generally navigate along Southern California. They are more commonly seen off the waters of Santa Barbara and Monterey, Mansur said.

"This is extremely unusual," Mansur said. "But seeing them in the dead of winter is extremely rare."

Mansur said the whales looked healthy. They likely broke off from the normal migratory route possibly in the pursuit of a large bio mass of krill that has recently drawn blue whales, fin whales and even squid to the Orange County coastline.

Mansur, his crew and more than 70 whale-watching enthusiasts on two boats took advantage of the display. The whales were traveling slow enough that that Mansur unloaded one boatload of whale-watchers at the docks and returned with another set of sightseers.

"I always tell people who come out to whale-watch that it's like a box of chocolates," Mansur said. "You never know what you get. Some people were so excited they came up and hugged me."

Right outside the harbor, Mansur made another discovery when a playful fin whale frolicked in front of the boat. But that wouldn't be the last event. The trifecta was complete when Mansur spotted another rarity. A mother gray whale was shepherding her month-old calf through seaweed. The calf was likely born prematurely in open waters off either Oregon or Northern California, Mansur said.

"The mother was prompting the calf to keep swimming south," Mansur said. The 45-foot mom was likely headed to the birthing lagoons in Mexico just about 200 miles south of San Diego.

"The mother is lucky the calf is alive," Mansur said. "When they're born in open waters, they have to manage the conditions and watch out for rough seas and predators."

The whale mother likely may have had to transport the new baby on her back for part of the way south so the calf could rest, he said. The calf will stay with its mother for a year. Then it will begin traveling with other juveniles along the shallower waters near shore during its migration to and from Alaska.

And just before the boat trip was over, Mansur spotted the elusive Humboldt squid on his sonar about 200 feet below the surface just offshore the Ritz Carlton. The squid had been fished out by the hundreds for days earlier this month. And just as suddenly as they appeared they disappeared two weeks ago.

Capt. Todd Mansur knew exactly what he saw when he watched a huge black and white flipper come out of the water on Tuesday morning. Humpbacks are usually not seen in Southern California. COURTESY OF DANA WHARF SPORT FISHING AND WHALE WATCHING
Two humpback whales were sighted about two miles off the Headlands on Tuesday. The whales appeared to be courting, Dana Pride boat Capt. Todd Mansur said. PHOTO COURTESY OF DANA WHARF SPORT FISHING AND WHALE WATCHING
Two humpback whales play in the water off the Dana Point Headlands on Tuesday. The winter sighting is incredibly rare, Capt. Todd Mansur said. PHOTO COURTESY OF DANA WHARF SPORT FISHING AND WHALE WATCHING
A gray whale, one of two spotted in the area, spy hops just outside the Dana Point Harbor Tuesday afternoon. The 45-foot whale was watching over its month-old calf as it headed south toward the lagoons in Mexico where most baby whales are born. PHOTO BY CHRISTINA DE LA FUENTE, FOR DANAWHARF.COM
A gray whale, one of two spotted in the area, spy hops just outside the Dana Point Harbor Tuesday afternoon. PHOTO BY CHRISTINA DE LA FUENTE, FOR DANAWHARF.COM
A gray whale, one of two spotted in the area, is photographed just outside the Dana Point Harbor Tuesday afternoon. PHOTO BY CHRISTINA DE LA FUENTE, FOR DANAWHARF.COM

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